The Trump administration is working to narrow its broad tariffs on steel and aluminum products that companies find difficult to calculate and the European Union wants reined in as part of its pending trade deal with the US, a person familiar with the matter said.

These tariffs, imposed in 2018 under Section 232 national security provisions, have created significant compliance challenges for manufacturers. The European Union has been seeking relief from these duties as part of broader trade negotiations, arguing that the measures unfairly target European producers while raising costs for American companies that rely on imported metals.

The move to narrow the scope of these tariffs represents a potential breakthrough in US-EU trade relations. By addressing European concerns about the metal duties, the administration may be seeking to remove a major obstacle in finalizing a comprehensive trade agreement that has been under discussion for months.